Dance and Choreography

From autumn 2017 the previous four year programme is replaced by a new three year programme in Dance and Choreography at The Danish National School of Performing Arts (DDSKS). The programme emphasises the artistic, technical, and critical perspectives of dance and choreography.The programme aims at graduating highly accomplished artists by deepening and developing the physical and critical awareness of each singular student. To create a close relation to the professional field the students regularly meet practicing artists.

In addition to the permanent faculty the school invites guest teachers, choreographers and practitioners from all over the world to work with the students.

The programme works with the combination of dance and choreography and considers technique as something that one develops as one learns how to work. The body is considered a fundament of existence. Engaging in the question of bodily capacities, functionalities, and expressions, through an artistic practice, is understood as a way to leave presumed oppositions between body and mind, theory and practice, thinking and doing.

the programme's goal

The goal is to graduate students that are able to engage in a large array of artistic works both in groups and individually, departing from perception of body and space and critical awareness. The graduated student shall have the possibility to engage in the professional field, as a creative artist be it as a performer in someone else’s work or to produce their own work alone or collectively, depending on the students own interests. In order to develop a familiarity with the professional field today, the students will meet present and prominent artists working in Denmark, Europe, and around the world.

content of the programme

The two main subjects are Dance and Choreography.

The subject of Dance approaches a large range of techniques under the umbrella of the craft modules called Dance Body Movement. The goal is to prepare the students to apply their bodily awareness to all sorts of physical practices.

The subject of Choreography focuses on composition, crafting own works and the contextual sides of an expanded notion of choreography that investigates choreographic perspectives outside dance.

Being a part of The Danish National School of Performing Arts also means collaborating with the other educational programs in trans-disciplinary work and artistic development work (called KUA). Each year in the education there is a project/production that is performed and open to public.